2. Viewership On Fridays Was 20% Lower Than When Smackdown Was On Thursday
It was mentioned in this week's
Wrestling Observer Newsletter that ever since WWE moved Smackdown to Fridays in 2006 the number has been about 20% lower. That's what happens when you move it from a popular TV night to the worst weeknight. When the move to Fridays happened it was obvious why WWE wanted to do it. They wanted to brag about how they were winning their time slot for cable TV shows on Friday nights as if that was a big deal. What they were also doing was losing viewers by airing it on a terrible night to put on a wrestling show. We all know that WWE likes to market to kids, but there is also an adult audience that has been in place for decades that has grown up with WWE. A lot of fans in their 20s are not staying in on a Friday night as often as you might think. Because of that, they're missing Smackdown. They might DVR it, but by the time the weekend is over maybe they didn't have time and they won't bother on Monday since Raw is on. It makes sense for both Syfy and WWE to want more people watching the show. That's why moving it back to Thursday is, pardon the phrase, truly what's best for business.